NUP’s Nalukoola Emerges Victorious in Kawempe North

The National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola has clinched victory in the Kawempe North MP by-election.

Nalukoola beat nine other contenders for the coveted seat.

Nalukoola garnered 17,764 votes, followed by the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Faridah Nambi, who got 8,593 votes.

Independent candidate, Hanifah Karadi Murerwa, came in third position with 381 votes, while Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate musician Sadat Mukiibi, alias Kalifa Aganaga bagged only 239 votes.

The other candidates included Ssegirinya’s former assistant, Muhammad Luswa Luwemba who got 240 votes, People’s Progressive Party(PPP)’s Ismail Musiitwa who garnered 39 votes, Democratic Party (DP)’s Henry Mubiru Kasacca who got 100 votes and Edward Stanley Engena-Maitum who polled 22 votes.

The returning officer, Henry Makabayi said at least 15 polling stations did not submit their tally results. Six of the affected polling stations reported to the Electoral Commission that voting materials, including the ballot papers, had been destroyed by some individuals before tallying of results.

The result announcement brings to a conlcusion a brusing and tense contest between the NUP and the NRM parties which was charcterised by brute violence and clashes between security forces and opposition party officials and their supporters.

Most notably however was the indiscriminate use of force by the security where journalists were targeted and brutally assualted in the line of duty. 

The seat fell vacant following the death of then MP Muhammad Ssegirinya in January this year.